film making trends

Thanks to technology and other growth factors, the movie industry is always changing. Film producers, directors, and other stakeholders are always looking for ways to keep up with rampant trends in the industry. This article highlights the 8 most prominent trends in the film industry 2018.

1) Computer Generated Imagery and Practical Effects

A few years ago, everyone would have thought that Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) would be replacing practical effects as far as special effects are concerned. But this has turned out not to be the case. Practical effects have made a major comeback in the space – and it appears like they’ll be here to stay. Some of the major films using practical effects include Max Max: Fury Road, an Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In the foreseeable future, practical effects will continue to play a role alongside CGI.

2) Evolving Consumer Ecosystems

The rise of direct-to-consumer platforms such as Netflix and Amazon is keeping film procedures up all night. Powered by stable, better internet connections, this trend isn’t slowing down any time soon. This disruption in the industry’s traditional business model has an impact on the production, distribution, and marketing of films. Players in the sector have no option but to learn to work within these evolving consumer ecosystems. On the positive side, the new tech-based platforms have opened an easy worldwide market for film producers.

3) What’s Next for Virtual and Augmented Reality

Never-ending changes in technology are also having a direct influence on the storytelling. In the recent past, technology has enabled virtual reality (computer generated simulations of 3-dimensional images/environments). Upcoming technology will give a push to augmented reality, which has been lagging behind on multiple fronts.

4) Low-Budget Films are Cropping Up Online

There’s a boom of short low-budget films available on Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and other video platforms. As technology makes distribution of films easier, student groups and little known producers are using these platforms to launch their productions. This trend is going to continue into the future, and as consumers spend a lot of time on the social web – the low-budget films will be able to compete for more of the consumers’ time.

5) Increased Diversity in Films

Perhaps due to increased social commentary, we are seeing more and more diversity in films. Female leads are showing up in traditionally male roles, and racial diversity is becoming a common thing in films that traditionally included an all-white cast. The film industry is – and will continue to be – more accommodative of diversity, flexibility, and creativity.

6) More Films Based on Real-Life Events

Statistics show that less than 7% of films in US Cinemas were based on real-life events in 1996. Fast forward to 2016 (2 decades later) and the situation is entirely different – up to 27% of films are inspired by real life events. The majority of these films are low-budget, with the romantic comedy taking up the biggest percentage of films that are based on real-life.

7) Faith-Based Films are Becoming More Profitable

Faith-based films are becoming intensely profitable in the market. In fact, some of the most profitable films created over the last 10 years were targeted for Christians. A good example is ‘The Passion of the Christ’, which used a $30 budget but ended up grossing a whopping $612 million in the box office. This was a record 2,040% box office-budget ratio. Other faith-based movies that have been very successful include ‘God’s Not Dead’, ‘War Room’, ‘Heaven Is for Real’, and ‘Courageous’.

8) We Have Here a Horror Movie Boom

Over the last few years, film production levels have been increasing across genres. But no sector has seen a faster boom than the ‘Horror’ genre. In 2016 alone, over 1,000 horror movies were churned out, accounting for 12% of all films produced in the year. This is a far cry from the situation 20 years ago in 1996, when horror films constituted just 4% of total film production.